Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Grimmelmann on ‘SSRN Considered Harmful’

Posted on February 28, 2007 by Michael Froomkin

If you are interested in academic legal scholarship, please reaed James Grimmelmann's SSRN Considered Harmful.

You can get it from … SSRN … which is part of the point, as explained here.

Posted in Writings | 1 Comment

Two Weeks is Forever in PR

Posted on February 27, 2007 by Michael Froomkin

If a week is a long time in politics, then two weeks must be forever in PR.

New Evidence Clouds U.S. Case against Iran: Two weeks ago, the Bush administration organized an intelligence briefing for journalists in Iraq to demonstrate that Iran was providing weapons to Iraqi insurgents. According to the anonymous briefers, the weapons — particularly explosively formed penetrators or E.F.P.s — were manufactured in Iran and provided to insurgents by the Quds Force — a fact that meant direction for the operation was “coming from the highest levels of the Iranian government.”

Well. A raid in southern Iraq on Saturday seems to have complicated the case.

It seems the Iraqis were making the stuff that the US had been saying could only have come from IraqIran. And from the markings on the boxes, it seems most of the key parts came straight from non-Iranian factories.

I hope the Times and Post put this on their front pages with the same prominence they gave the scare stories two weeks ago.

Posted in Iran, Iraq | 1 Comment

We Have Great Students (and Alumni)

Posted on February 27, 2007 by Michael Froomkin

One of our recent LL.M. graduates, and a former student of mine, Dr. Daniel Schnabl, LL.M., has published a book with the imposing title of Die Anhörungsrüge nach § 321a ZPO. Gewährleistung von Verfahrensgrundrechten durch die Fachgerichte which apparently translates as “The Appeal for the Right to Be Heard According to § 321a of the German Code of Civil Procedure. The Guarantee of Basic Procedural Rights in the Courts.”

Here's the blurb:

The right to be heard is one of the essential guarantees in court proceedings granted by Article 103 I of the German Basic Law. Daniel Schnabl examines the new Section 321a, which was changed as of January 1, 2005 and provides an additional safeguard for the right to be heard in the German Code of Civil Procedure and in other procedural codes. Thus the significance of this topic transcends the code of civil procedure. The author gives detailed answers to legal and constitutional issues which are related to this new regulation. In conclusion, he examines whether or not the current version of Section 321a of the German Code of Civil Procedure is compatible with the rule of real legal protection which ensues from the general right to have recourse to a court. The author received an award from the “Dr. Feldbausch-Stiftung” for this thesis.

I'm sure it's just the start of a glittering academic career.

Posted in U.Miami | Comments Off on We Have Great Students (and Alumni)

Random Fact

Posted on February 27, 2007 by Michael Froomkin

Rudy_Giuliani.jpgferret.jpg

Rudy Giuliani hates ferrets, and ferret-owners too. (Click for a link to the amazing audio clip.)

Posted in Politics: US: 2008 Elections | 1 Comment

What a Strange Question

Posted on February 26, 2007 by Michael Froomkin

Stevens.jpgThe Law Blog Question of the Day: What’s the deal with lawyers who wear bow ties?

What kind of a question is that?

Bow ties, in addition to being natty, take less storage space in your closet. Plus it is very hard to spill soup on them, reducing cleaning costs (and, given that silk is so hard to clean, reducing the risk of ruining a favorite tie).

And Justice Stevens wears them.

What more do you need to know?

The only times I wear one of those long flappy things are for funerals (bow ties are too cheerful for funerals) and before trial courts (juries, and even trial court judges may have unpredictable reactions).

Posted in Law: Everything Else | 5 Comments

All Hail the Conservapedia

Posted on February 26, 2007 by Michael Froomkin

Read all about the Conservapedia. But not while drinking hot coffee.

PS. As far as I can tell the Conservapedia is not intended as a joke, although some commentators have been less than respectful.

Posted in Completely Different | Comments Off on All Hail the Conservapedia